Welcome to my blog: this is the story of our adventures in India: the wonderful, the strange, the downright bizzare & the not-so-nice. So sit back & enjoy the ride as we take you on a journey across the sub-continent (& everywhere in-between).

Saturday, May 4, 2013

On the road to Petra

On
the road to Petra, we took the time to visit two Crusader castles: Karak &
Shawbak

Karak
Castle

Karak
Castle is one of the best preserved Crusader castle in Jordan. Built after the
First Crusade, it held a strategic position overlooking the Dead Sea & the caravan
routes between Syria to Egypt & Arabia.

The
castle is inextricably linked to the Crusader knight Reynald of Chatillon, a knight from the Second
Crusade. Reynald was a nasty piece of work – there are stories of Reynald throwing
prisoners from the castle walls. In a twist, he encased their heads in boxes
first, in the hope that this would stop them losing consciousness before they
hit the rocks below.

What a guy !!

He constantly
attacked the camel trains passing by the castle, despite there being a truce
between the Crusaders & the Muslim leader, Saladin.

When the
Crusaders were defeated at the Battle of Hattin, Saladin spared the king &
the Crusader lords, except for Reynald
of Chatillon, who he personally decapitated.

The castle was besieged by Saladin & fell in
1188.

Shawbak Castle

Shawbak was
built in 1115 by Balwin I. The castle was originally called “Krak de Montreal”.

It held a strategic location, overlooking the pilgrimage
& caravan routes between Syria to Egypt & Arabia.

It was besieged
by Saladin in 1187 & finally fell in 1189 after the defender sold their
wives & children in exchange for food.

About Me

A bit of a techno-phobe with some geekish tendancies.
I'm a bit of a political tragic.
I love my wife and my books (in that order).
There's nothing better than cooking up a storm for family and friends.